2,000 jobs created at Asda

SUPERMARKET group Asda created more than 2,000 shopfloor jobs today as part of the radical shake-up that cost hundreds of management posts last week.

Asda said plans to simplify its 'complicated and bureaucratic' business meant it was now able to invest in 2,250 frontline customer service roles - equivalent to 850 jobs when the part-time nature of the positions is considered.

The company angered union representatives last week when it said it would axe 200 jobs at its Leeds and Lutterworth centres and take out around five management roles at each of its stores - totalling 1,400 positions.

David Smith, Asda's human resources director, said the new jobs would make the company's 279 stores more customer-focused. He said: 'It would have been insensitive last week to talk about job creation when some of our colleagues were facing uncertainty about their roles.

'Our intention is to redeploy as many of them as possible whilst continuing to create new jobs like these in all our stores.'